A Molecular Beacon Defines Bacterial Cell Asymmetry Melanie L. Lawler, Yves V. Brun  Cell  Volume 124, Issue 5, Pages 891-893 (March 2006) DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2006.02.027 Copyright © 2006 Elsevier Inc. Terms and Conditions

Figure 1 Life Cycle of the Bacterium Caulobacter crescentus Asymmetric localization of proteins to the cell poles is crucial for development of C. crescentus. The “new poles” that are the result of the most recent cell division are shaded blue, and the “old poles” from a previous division are shaded red. Large colored dots represent the specific subcellular localization of proteins during the cell cycle; small colored dots around the cell represent diffuse protein localization. TipN localizes to the midcell following constriction by the cell division machinery—it is then inherited at the “new pole” of daughter cells. Localization of the developmental regulator DivJ to the “old pole” is independent of TipN, whereas localization of another developmental regulator, PleC, and the pili assembly factor CpaE to the new pole is partially dependent on TipN. The polar organelle development protein PodJ is also important for the proper localization of PleC and CpaE to the new pole during the cell cycle. PodJ is processed from a full-length ∼100 kDa form (PodJL) to an ∼90 kDa apparent molecular weight form (PodJS) at the end of the cell division cycle. The precise localization of these various proteins is important to establishing the different fate of the two daughter cells. Cell 2006 124, 891-893DOI: (10.1016/j.cell.2006.02.027) Copyright © 2006 Elsevier Inc. Terms and Conditions